Question

Upon completion of new graduate orientation, the new nurse assumes care of a team of patients with available preceptor and charge nurse oversight. Due to multiple sick calls, the new nurse was asked to serve as a charge nurse. List considerations for and against accepting the role of a charge nurse. Based on these considerations, describe an appropriate way to accept or refuse the charge nurse role.

Answer 1

The role of a charge nurse is highly responsible . Even smallest error can contribute to death of patients .

Some of the consideration to accept the role of charge nurse are

• High position got at the new career at the earliest
• Increased responsibility
• Opportunity to oversee and guide others

Some of the consideration against the role of charge nurse are

• Novice staff will be inexperienced
• Risks involved in guiding and monitoring other staffs
• The novice can hardly detect errors of a trained staff
• This can pose legal issues if errors happens
• Patient may feel the fear of quality care delivered under the supervision of new charge nurse

Based on these considerations it is better to not accept the role of charge nurse being a novice or a just graduated nurse on duty.